Magnetic separation device



Oct. 29, 1957 R. M. CHAMBERS 2,811,256

MAGNETIC SEPARATION DEVICE INVENTOR. ROBERT M. CHAMBERS Oct 29, 1957 R. M. CHAMBERS n 2,811,256

MAGNETIC SEPARATION DEVICE INVENTOR. ROBERT M CHAMBERS MAGNETIC SEPARATION DEVICE Robert M. Chambers, Penn Township, Allegheny County, Pa.

Application ctober 27, 1955, Serial No. 543,230

4 Claims. (Cl. 209--218) This invention relates to a magnetic separation device adapted to separate magnetic material from non-magnetic material as the material is being advanced. The device may be used whenever magnetic material is to be separated from non-magnetic material but has particular application in the separation of magnetic ore such as iron ore from non-magnetic gangue.

When conventional magnetic separation methods are employed to separate large pieces (for example, over one cubic foot in volume) of magnetic material from a mixture of magnetic and non-magnetic material carried, for example, by a conveyor belt, the possible damage to the belt by the attracted magnetic material and the braking action on the belt incident to the attraction of the magnetic material by the magnet render such methods impracticable or at least highly undesirable. I have improved thereover by the use of magnet means traveling in a closed path to pick up magnetic material from a traveling mixture of magnetic and non-magnetic material by direct contact, the path of the magnet means preferably being above the mixture, at least at the point where the magnet means contact the mixture, and at substantially the speed of the mixture. The magnetic material is carried by the magnet means to the discharge point where it is dumped by deenergizing the magnet means.

. My magnetic separation device may comprise means for conveying material including magnetic material along a predetermined path, a magnet, means for moving the magnet along a path having a portion generally parallel to the iirst mentioned path but curving toward and then away from the irst mentioned path and means for energizing the magnet while it is closest to the rst mentioned path to magnetically attract magnetic material being conveyed by the conveying means and deenergizing the magnet while it is relatively removed from the iirst mentioned path to dump the magnetic material. The means for moving the magnet may include flexible supporting means for the magnet and the path*` of movement of the magnet may have a portion above and extending generally in the same direction as the path of movement of the material, the flexible supporting means allowing the magnet to settle onto the material being conveyed along the first mentioned path. ln this way effective separation can be accomplished With a minimum of deterioration of the parts of the apparatus. The magnet may be moved in a generally horizontal direction between a position adjacent the path of the material and a position relatively remote therefrom.

I preferably provide a guideway having a portion adjacent the path of the material together with a plurality of magnets guided by the guideway, flexible means separate from the guideway connected with the magnets, means for advancing the flexible means to advance the magnets one after another along the guideway and means for energizing each magnet while it is at said portion of the guideway to magnetically attract magnetic material being conveyed by the conveying means and deenergizing States Patenti i the magnet while it is at another portionfof the guideway Patented Oct. 29, 1957V to dump the magnetic material. The means for energizing the magnets may include a conductor extending along a part only of the guideway. The flexible means connected with the magnets may be a chain, and a sprocket may be provided meshing with the chain together with means for driving the sprocket to move the chain and hence advance the magnets one after another.

The guideway is desirably an endless closed guideway and is preferably arranged generally horizontally with a downwardly dipping portion adjacent the path of the material. Driving means are preferably provided for moving the magnets which cause movement of the magnets at substantially the same speed as the speed of movement of the material, especially at the point where the magnets iirst magnetically attract the material.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a` present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a magnetic separation device;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end View of the device shown in Figure l; Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view taken on the line V-V of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a conveyor designated generally by reference numeral 2 for conveying a mixture of magnetic and nonmagnetic material, such, for example, as a mixture of magnetic ore andV non-magnetic gangue in which the magnetic material is to be separated from the non-magnetic material. The conveyor is shown as of the endless belt type but it may be of any type so long as the mixture ofmagnet ic and non-magnetic material is advanced in a predetermined' path. The mixture may include pieces as large as one cubic foot in volume or even larger and it may also include relatively finely divided material. While the conveyor 2 is shown as being horizontal it is not essential that the conveyor be horizontal although optimum results are obtained when it is so oriented. The conveyor operates in the direction of the arrow in Figure l to advance the mixture of magnetic and non-v magnetic material horizontally from left to right at predetermined constant speed. The magnetic material is to be removed from the conveyor 2 by means now to be described, the non-magnetic material being discharged at the right-hand end of the conveyor viewing Figure l into any suitable receptacle.

I provide a superstructure designated generally by reference numeral 4 which carries a monorail guideway 5. The monorail may be in the shape of an H beam with its web extending generally vertically as shown in Figure 4 and is arranged in an endless closed path disposed generally horizontally as shown in Figures l and 2 but withV a downwardly dipping portion 6 as shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows that the guideway 5 is arranged in some* what oval shape with opposed substantially straight reaches at the sides and semicircular reaches at the ends. One of the side reaches of the guideway is disposed directly above the center line of the conveyor 2 and extends generally along the conveyor and contains the downwardly dipping portion 6. Thus the downwardly dipping porf tion 6 of the guideway is disposed along and directly above the conveyor.

A number of magnets which are shown as electromagnets and which are designated by reference numeral 7- are provided, thirteen such magnets being shown in Figure 2 although thenumber maybe increased or-'decreasedasl desired. Each of the magnets is carried by the guideway through four rollers 8. The rollers S are in opposed pairs and overlie the bottom flange of the monorail guideway 5 and ride along that flange as shown in Figure 4. The shaft of each roller 8 has a downwardly extending rod 9 connected therewith so that there are four such rods in the supporting structure for each magnet. The rods are in two pairs, a forward pair of parallel rods and a rearward pair of parallel rods.v The forward and rearward pairs of rods are connected by longitudinally extending members 10 pivotally connected to the rods by pins 11. A central cross member 12 extends between the rods 10, the corresponding magnet 7 being supported from the cross member 12 by flexible supporting means such as chains 13.

Coaxial with each of the semi-circular end reaches of the guideway 5 is a vertical shaft, the left-hand such shaft being designated 14 and the right-hand such shaft being designated 15 in Figure 2. Each of the shafts 14 and 15 is liournaled for rotation in suitable bearings and has fastened thereto a sprocket, the sprocket fastened to the shaft 14 being designated 16 and the sprocket attached to the shaft 15 being designated 17. The sprockets 16 and 17 are coplanar. The sprocket 16 is an idler sprocket while the sprocket 17 is a driving sprocket. It is driven by a motor 18 through a speed reducer 19 coupled to the shaft 15.

A sprocket chain Z0 is trained about and in mesh with the sprockets 16 and 17 and extends along and generally beneath the guideway 5 but slightly offset horizontally therefrom. The chain 20 is connected with each of the supporting structures for the magnets as shown in the drawings and is stretched therebetween so that when the sprocket 17 is driven the magnets are caused to move along the guideway and are maintained in spaced relation therealong as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In operation of the device the mixture of magnetic and non-magnetic material is as above explained advanced from left to right viewing Figure l upon the conveyor 2. That mixture may have large and small pieces as is usual in the case of ore. The sprocket 17 is driven in the direction of the arrow 21 of Figure 2 at such a speed that the movement of the magnets along the guideway 5 is at substantially the same speed as the movement of the mixture of magnetic and non-magnetic material on the conveyor 2. As each magnet 7 reaches the downwardly dipping portion of the guideway 5 it moves downwardly as clearly shown in Figure l and thus gradually approaches the mixture of magnetic and non-magnetic material being advanced upon the conveyor 2, the speed of movement of the magnet being substantially the same as the speed of movement of the material. Thus the magnet is lowered onto the material. The chains 13 are preferably made of such length that each magnet settles upon the material on the conveyor 2, the chains becoming somewhat loose and serving only to advance and not to support the magnet when the magnet is at the lowermost portion of the guideway. This insures intimate contact of the magnet with the material and promotes highly ethcient operation without danger of damage to any of the parts of the apparatus. As each magnet passes beyond the lowermost portion of the guideway in its movement toward the right viewing Figure l the chains tighten and it is lifted upwardly as shown carrying with it magnetic material from the mixture.

The magnets are energized beginning at about the point designated 22 in Figure 2, the energization of the magnets being accomplished by an electric current passing through copper bars 23 carried by the guideway but insulated therefrom by strips of insulation 24. Rollers 25 make electrical contact with the copper bars 23 and transmit current to the magnets to energize them. The magnets remain energized until they reach the point 26 when the copper bars end and the current is cut oi whereupon the magnets are deenergized and dump the magnetic material carried thereby into a receiving hopper 27. The nonmagnetic material delivered off of the end of the conveyor 2 may be received in a hopper 28.

The chain 20 passes through each of the supporting structures for the magnets and is connected thereto as shown in Figure 4 to cause the supporting structure and hence the magnet carried thereby to move along the guideway as the chain is driven by the sprocket 17 Thus the chain 29 acts both as driving means for the magnets and as means for maintaining the magnets spaced apart in their movement around the endless guideway 5.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment ofthe invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention isV not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A magnetic separation device comprising means for conveying material including magnetic material along a predetermined path, an endless closed guideway arranged generally horizontally having a downwardly dipping portion adjacent said path, a plurality of magnets guided by the guideway, means for advancing the magnets one after another along the guideway and means for energizing each magnet while it is at said portion of the guideway to magnetically attract magnetic material being conveyed by the conveying means and deenergizing the magnet While it is at another portion of the guideway to dump the magnetic material.

2. A magnetic separation device comprising means for conveying material including magnetic material along a predetermined path, an endless closed guideway arranged generally horizontally having a downwardly dipping portion generally `above said path, a plurality of magnets, means including ilexible supporting means by which the magnets are guidingly carried by the guideway, means for advancing the magnets one after another along the guideway and means for energizing each magnet while it is at said portion of the guideway to magnetically attract magnetic material being conveyed by the conveying means and deenergizing the magnet while it is at another portion of the guideway to dump the magnetic material.

3. A magnetic separation device comprising means for conveying material including magnetic material along a predetermined path, a guideway having generally horizontal portions and a downwardly dipping portion between said generally horizontal portions and adjacent said path, a plurality of magnets guided by the guideway, means for advancing the magnets one after another along the guideway and means for energizing each magnet while it is at said downwardly dipping portion of the guideway to magnetically attract magnetic material being conveyed by the conveying means and deenergizing the magnet while it is at another portion of the guideway to dump the magnetic material.

4. A magnetic separation device comprising means for conveying material including magnetic material along a predetermined path, a guideway having generally horizontal portions and a downwardly dipping portion between said generally horizontal portions and adjacent said path, a plurality of magnets, means including ilexible supporting means by which the magnets are guidingly carried by the guideway, means for advancing the magnets one after another along the guideway and means for energizing each magnet while it is at said downwardly dipping portion of the guideway to magnetically attract magnetic material being conveyed by the conveying means and deenergizing the magnet while it is at another portion of the guideway to dump the magnetic material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,684,761 Downing July 27. 1954 

